Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This module covers major themes in European and global history during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It begins with a "Europeanized" world of empires on the eve of the First World War and concludes with a multipolar world characterized by a shift of economic and political power from west to east, and a shift of demographic weight from north to south. Proceeding chronologically, it traverses the significant events - the totalitarian states of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia; World War II and the Holocaust; the Cold War between superpowers; decolonization in Asia and Africa and the foundation of the United Nations; the Chinese Civil War and the Cultural Revolution; the world revolutions of 1968 and the counter-revolutions of 1979; the "transitions to democracy" in Southern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and South Africa. The course module also pauses to explore themes such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, terrorism, gender and feminist movements, population explosion, and the climate crisis.  

Associated skills

This course addresses the five basic competences (hereinafter "BCs") common to the degree according to the following scheme.

By the end of the course module, students will have successfully developed the ability to

BC1: Demonstrate knowledge of the basic elements of twentieth-century European and world history, and will have explored some of the most recent theoretical developments within the field.  

BC2: Apply such knowledge in the field by elaborating and defending theories of historical causality in order to resolve debates concerning change and continuity in the twentieth century.

BC3: Interpret the past in order to reflect critically upon ethical, social, political, and scientific dilemmas taking place in the world today.

BC4. Transmit theories and explanations concerning historical questions to a specialized and non-specialized audience.

BC5.  Utilize acquired learning skills to confront postgraduate studies with a high degree of autonomy.

Specific Competences:This course module addresses the following specific competences (hereinafter "SCs") common to the area of history and philosophy according to the following scheme.

By the end of the course, students will have demonstrated the ability to 

SC1. Evaluate the history of the major ideological, political, economic and technological mechanisms at work within the contemporary, globalized, and cosmopolitan world, the social conflicts they generate, and their implications for all of humanity.  

SC3. Inter-relate the various paradigmatic theories used to explain change and continuity in the twentieth-century world in order to explain the historical underpinnings of contemporary society.

SC4. Enter debates about local and global phenomena taking place in the contemporary world after analysing diverse ideological, theoretical and normative approaches common to historical inquiry.

SC5. Integrate knowledge of the history of the contemporary world with philosophical, political, and economic approaches to the subject.

SC6. Analyse the social and political diversity present in the contemporary world through the basic tools of historical inquiry -- the identification of a historical problematic and the examination and interpretation of primary and secondary source materials.

SC11. Develop opinions based on ethical criteria that address fundamental social, scientific and economic issues present in a local and global context using historical methods.   

SC12. Formulate critical opinions and develop arguments explaining historical outcomes, employing precise terminology, specialized methods, and relevant source materials.

Learning outcomes

 - To acquire essential concepts, skills, and analytical methods needed to explore diverse historical phenomena taking place in the twentieth century.

-   To understand the local, national, regional, and global aspects of diverse historical occurrences.

-   To situate primary source materials (press accounts, memoirs, novels, etc.) relevant to a given event in twentieth-century history within their temporal and political and societal context.

- To distinguish and define the principal ideological and cultural milieu characterizing a given historical time and place.

- To analyse the forces of continuity and change present in a given historical time and place.  

- To identify the mechanism used to maintain the nuclei of global power as manifest in alliances and institutions  

Contents

1. A World of Empires

2. A World in Crisis and War

3. Dictatorship and Democracy

4. Nation States, Minorities, and World War

5. Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, and Crimes Against Humanity

6. Cold War and Decolonization

7. Cultural Revolution and Cold-War Thaw

8. Counter Revolution 

9. Neo-Liberalism and Globalization

10. Gender, the People, and the Planet 

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 10: Reduce Inequality

SDG 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Evaluation and grading system

Students will be evaluated according to their ability to acquire the basic and specific competencies and the learning outcomes outlined above. Students will be evaluated based on their participation and performance during lectures and seminars in addition to their written work.  

The evaluation will consist of two parts -- continuous and final. Continuous assessment takes into account participation during class and seminar and the results of the written assignment. The final assessment consists of a final exam. The specific nature of the written assignment will be outlined on the first day of class and posted on the Aula Global.

A student's final mark will be calculated according to the following formula:

Participation in Seminar and Classroom Discussions: 20 percent.

Written Assignment: 30 percent.

Final Exam: 50 percent.

"Recovering" a failing mark (Sistema de recuperación):

In order to be eligible for the sistema de recuperación, students must have participated in at least half of the seminars and have either handed in the written assignment and/or taken the final exam. Such students will have received a failing mark (suspenso). Students who do NOT participate in at least half of the seminars and have neither handed the written assignment nor have appeared for the final exam receive a No Presentado and are not eligible for the sistema de recuperación.

Students who recover the written assignment or final exam may only receive a maximum mark of 5.0 on the exam or written assignment.

Teaching Plan Information

Presentation

This module covers major themes in European and global history during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It begins with a "Europeanized" world of empires on the eve of the First World War and concludes with a multipolar world characterized by a shift of economic and political power from west to east, and a shift of demographic weight from north to south. Proceeding chronologically, it traverses the significant events - the totalitarian states of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia; World War II and the Holocaust; the Cold War between superpowers; decolonization in Asia and Africa and the foundation of the United Nations; the Chinese Civil War and the Cultural Revolution; the world revolutions of 1968 and the counter-revolutions of 1979; the "transitions to democracy" in Southern Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and South Africa. The course module also pauses to explore themes such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, terrorism, gender and feminist movements, population explosion, and the climate crisis.  

Associated skills

This course addresses the five basic competences (hereinafter "BCs") common to the degree according to the following scheme.

By the end of the course module, students will have successfully developed the ability to

BC1: Demonstrate knowledge of the basic elements of twentieth-century European and world history, and will have explored some of the most recent theoretical developments within the field.  

BC2: Apply such knowledge in the field by elaborating and defending theories of historical causality in order to resolve debates concerning change and continuity in the twentieth century.

BC3: Interpret the past in order to reflect critically upon ethical, social, political, and scientific dilemmas taking place in the world today.

BC4. Transmit theories and explanations concerning historical questions to a specialized and non-specialized audience.

BC5.  Utilize acquired learning skills to confront postgraduate studies with a high degree of autonomy.

Specific Competences:This course module addresses the following specific competences (hereinafter "SCs") common to the area of history and philosophy according to the following scheme.

By the end of the course, students will have demonstrated the ability to 

SC1. Evaluate the history of the major ideological, political, economic and technological mechanisms at work within the contemporary, globalized, and cosmopolitan world, the social conflicts they generate, and their implications for all of humanity.  

SC3. Inter-relate the various paradigmatic theories used to explain change and continuity in the twentieth-century world in order to explain the historical underpinnings of contemporary society.

SC4. Enter debates about local and global phenomena taking place in the contemporary world after analysing diverse ideological, theoretical and normative approaches common to historical inquiry.

SC5. Integrate knowledge of the history of the contemporary world with philosophical, political, and economic approaches to the subject.

SC6. Analyse the social and political diversity present in the contemporary world through the basic tools of historical inquiry -- the identification of a historical problematic and the examination and interpretation of primary and secondary source materials.

SC11. Develop opinions based on ethical criteria that address fundamental social, scientific and economic issues present in a local and global context using historical methods.   

SC12. Formulate critical opinions and develop arguments explaining historical outcomes, employing precise terminology, specialized methods, and relevant source materials.

Learning outcomes

 - To acquire essential concepts, skills, and analytical methods needed to explore diverse historical phenomena taking place in the twentieth century.

-   To understand the local, national, regional, and global aspects of diverse historical occurrences.

-   To situate primary source materials (press accounts, memoirs, novels, etc.) relevant to a given event in twentieth-century history within their temporal and political and societal context.

- To distinguish and define the principal ideological and cultural milieu characterizing a given historical time and place.

- To analyse the forces of continuity and change present in a given historical time and place.  

- To identify the mechanism used to maintain the nuclei of global power as manifest in alliances and institutions  

Contents

1. A World of Empires

2. A World in Crisis and War

3. Dictatorship and Democracy

4. Nation States, Minorities, and World War

5. Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, and Crimes Against Humanity

6. Cold War and Decolonization

7. Cultural Revolution and Cold-War Thaw

8. Counter Revolution 

9. Neo-Liberalism and Globalization

10. Gender, the People, and the Planet 

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 10: Reduce Inequality

SDG 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

Evaluation and grading system

Students will be evaluated according to their ability to acquire the basic and specific competencies and the learning outcomes outlined above. Students will be evaluated based on their participation and performance during lectures and seminars in addition to their written work.  

The evaluation will consist of two parts -- continuous and final. Continuous assessment takes into account participation during class and seminar and the results of the written assignment. The final assessment consists of a final exam. The specific nature of the written assignment will be outlined on the first day of class and posted on the Aula Global.

A student's final mark will be calculated according to the following formula:

Participation in Seminar and Classroom Discussions: 20 percent.

Written Assignment: 30 percent.

Final Exam: 50 percent.

"Recovering" a failing mark (Sistema de recuperación):

In order to be eligible for the sistema de recuperación, students must have participated in at least half of the seminars and have either handed in the written assignment and/or taken the final exam. Such students will have received a failing mark (suspenso). Students who do NOT participate in at least half of the seminars and have neither handed the written assignment nor have appeared for the final exam receive a No Presentado and are not eligible for the sistema de recuperación.

Students who recover the written assignment or final exam may only receive a maximum mark of 5.0 on the exam or written assignment.